Technological innovation is not just a byproduct of American ingenuity—it has long been its driving force. Foundational studies have shown that most of the U.S.’s 20th-century productivity growth stemmed from domestic breakthroughs in science and technology. And as history has shown, this was no accident. After World War II, the U.S. government made a bold strategic choice: to link sustained federal support for research directly to national prosperity.
Vannevar Bush’s seminal 1945 report, Science—The Endless Frontier, laid the groundwork, arguing that investment in basic research would lead to new industries, new jobs, and lasting well-being for the American people.2 This vision led to the creation of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and sustained a postwar boom in federal R&D, spanning defense, health, space, and computing. The payoff was immense.
Federal funding of basic research sparked and sustained the modern technological revolution. In recent decades, digital innovation has exploded: microelectronics, the Internet, e-commerce, cloud computing, smartphones, and AI have become engines of growth and opportunity. By the late 2010s, the U.S. tech sector contributed nearly 10% of GDP, generated more than $1.8 trillion in value added, and supported the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs.1
While the factors and players driving each boom may change, one constant stands out: strategic, long-term investment in curiosity-driven academic research. This form of research is the bedrock of technological transformation. It’s where bold, out-of-the-box ideas take shape. Sometimes the benefits are slow to materialize, but their long-term impact can be profound.
University-based research is also where the next generation of technical talent is forged. While industry plays a role in exploration, much of private-sector R&D focuses on refining and deploying today’s ideas—not discovering those of tomorrow. Research boosts productivity across entire sectors, from automating manufacturing to streamlining office workflows—transforming how we work, live, and heal. Its influence ripples across industries, regions, and global leadership.
We thrive individually and as a society when academia dares to dream. To understand the influence, all we have to do is look at how federally funded research in computer science has enabled transformative innovations across nearly every domain of modern life, including:
Instant global communication with colleagues, family, and friends
Powerful search and information retrieval, unlocking easy access to the Web’s vast knowledge
Cutting-edge cybersecurity that protects our privacy in communications and financial transactions
Seamless automated database systems that power everything from ATMs to airline bookings, transforming modern banking and commerce
Breakthroughs in healthcare, from imaging and diagnostics to surgery and therapeutics
Rapid drug discovery—accelerating the path from lab to treatment
Safer, smarter transportation, both on roads and in the skies
Smarter, more resilient next-generation energy grids
Entire industries built on software, cloud infrastructure, and AI, fueling economic growth
AI breakthroughs in speech recognition, vision, engineering, medicine, and the sciences—transforming daily life, advancing discovery, bolstering national security, and sustaining U.S. competitiveness in a shifting global landscape
These achievements didn’t materialize in a vacuum. They emerged from a virtuous cycle: federally funded, curiosity-driven research sparks visionary ideas and trains world-class talent. Industry recruits that talent and builds on those ideas, creating products that open new markets and inspire further inquiry. Reports such as the NASEM “Tire Tracks” diagrams have documented this dynamic.3,4,5
Federally funded, curiosity-driven research sparks visionary ideas and trains world-class talent. Industry recruits that talent and builds on those ideas, creating products that open new markets and inspire further inquiry.
Yet despite these extraordinary returns, federal support for basic research is being sharply curtailed. Which raises a critical question: Can America remain a global innovation powerhouse if it sidelines the very engine that powered past progress? Can we afford to step back just as global competitors surge forward?
Cutting scientific investments is not just a fiscal choice—it’s a strategic risk. It undermines the cycle that drives innovation, job creation, and economic prosperity. If we value a strong, competitive, and secure America, we must safeguard the research ecosystem that sustains it. That protection starts with affirming the influence research has already achieved and engaging policymakers, leaders across the political spectrum, and the American public.
This special issue of Communications was born out of that urgency. Initially conceived to mark the 75th anniversary of the NSF (2025) and the 40th anniversary of its CISE Directorate (2026), the issue took on new meaning after sudden layoffs and sweeping cuts at the NSF.
We believe it is our responsibility—not just as scientists, but as citizens—to help the nation understand what fuels its innovation pipeline. This collection of articles is a call to recognize and recommit to the essential role of federally funded computing research, just as global competitors double down on their investments.
This special issue is not a compilation of abstract theories or insular tech talk. It is a collection of personal narratives—stories of ideas born in academia, nurtured by federal support, and matured into technologies that changed the world. Among the authors are Turing Award recipients and pioneers whose early research helped ignite trillion-dollar industries and transform modern life.
We hope these reflections inspire every member of the computing community with stories worth carrying—into classrooms, boardrooms, living rooms, and town halls. Share them with your students, your families, your neighbors, and your elected officials.
Federal research funding works. It’s not an expense–it’s an investment. It’s not overhead–it’s a down payment on the future. The value of computing research has never been greater. Let’s ensure its stories are not only told—but heard.
Federal research funding works. It’s not an expense–it’s an investment. It’s not overhead–it’s a down payment on the future.
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